1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hand-held electronic game playing device and more particularly to a hand-held electronic game playing device having a screen and controls for manipulating symbols or objects displayed on the screen.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electronic game devices such as are attachable to television sets are well known. Some of these devices provide the user a choice of games that can be played. These devices utilize read only memories which contain the programing for one or more games. The game to be played at any particular time is selected by a control element on the control console. Control elements such as knobs and corresponding circuitry is included in the control console to enable a player to make subjectively determined responses to situations objectively determined by the memory circuitry provided in the device.
The visual display for these electronic games is a household television set. For a further description of the state of the art related to television gaming devices reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,728,480; 3,659,284; 3,659,285; 3,421,161 and Re. 28,507.
In addition to the television-connected electronic game devices, smaller hand-held electronic game playing devices have also been developed. The hand-held devices of the prior art usually contain within the same housing a memory defining a game, control elements, a display device such as a light emitting diode (L.E.D.) type display and display driver circuitry. The driver circuitry transmits signals to the display which are subjectively determined by a player within the pre-set confines of the game.
Examples of games which have gained popularity in the past include a Ping-Pong game, a baseball game, and a car racing game. Characteristic of each of these games is the fact that a predetermined movable and moving symbol, as for example a ball or a racing car appears on the display unit and undergoes a predetermined path of motion which can be altered by a player by manipulating the control elements. In the Ping-Pong game, for example, the player manipulates paddles which bounce a ball. In the car racing game, for example, the player, by manipulating the controls steers the car along a predetermined track and may also be able to change its speed.
The number of games which may be realized on microprocessor driven display devices are practically limitless. As the microprocessor and electronic miniaturization technology advances, the capability of designing games of ever increasing sophistication continues to grow. However, the limitation that a certain amount of memory must be allocated for defining a game will continue to exist. For the present, hand-held electronic game devices are capable of playing only one game. Only large console devices that need to be connected to television sets have the capability of providing at least a limited selection of games to the user.